One Scoop or Two?
by dave-d
Summary: Sousuke helps Kaname out with a problem. As a reward she takes him out for ice cream.
1. Default Chapter

"Wow! You must really be in a good mood, Kaname!" Kyouko was walking through the hall with a group of friends.

"No. Not a 'good' mood."

_Kaname tossed her hair and smiled knowingly._

"Come on! You're smiling. I heard you whistling. You must be in a **_really_** good mood!" Ryo spoke with the utmost of certainty.

"Sorry. Wrong. Not a 'really good' mood."

_Kaname's trade mark laugh carried down the passageway._

"You **know** you can't fool us, Kaname. We can read you like a book. You are in a _really_ **_really _**good mood!" Maya glared at her friend, daring her to contradict her.

"Off by a mile. Not a 'really really good' mood. If there _was_ a book on me, I'd let you all study it."

_Kaname had a smile for everyone one she passed, even Mizuki. _

Her laughter grew louder when she saw the look on _that_ girl's face.

All of her friends stopped, hands on their hips, as Kaname continued to stroll down the hall like a queen. She turned, faced them, and brushed her hands together.

"I am in a **_great_** mood today!

The three girls looked at each other in disbelief. They couldn't remember the last time Kaname had used the word 'great.' And, her mood had been spotty at best, for the past few weeks.

"Despite Sousuke?" Kyouko asked, camera ready. That question would test how good Kaname's mood really was.

"B_ecause_ of Sousuke." Kaname replied, refusing to tell them anything more.

They would have to wait.

_It would be good for their character._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname was not always in such an exalted state of mind.

In fact, not too many days ago, it seemed as if a black cloud was following her everywhere she went.

The first sign of impending doom came at the train station. Shirai had cornered her and asked her for a date. He wouldn't take no for an answer.

Naturally, the otaku side of Sousuke made an appearance. In typical Sagara fashion, he 'convinced' the amorous boob to leave her alone. He claimed that his threats towards Shirai……_and his entire family_…… were merely a joke. She had scowled in disbelief and said "Uh huh."

Shirai had begged Kaname to change her mind, saying he was more than willing to dump his current girlfriend.

_Naturally,_ Mizuki---the girlfriend---was listening around the corner.

Over lunch, Kaname had a premonition that she was being watched. Not too much later, the girls had told her that someone was writing nasty graffitti about her on the boys' room wall.  
_  
That had been bad enough._

When she was told that Sousuke knew about the threat, she rightly feared the worst. Braving the foul and disgusting depths of the boys' domain, she discovered her self-assigned protector flushing Shirai's head down the toilet.

Sousuke had been nonchalant---or simply clueless---when told her that she was in the wrong room. The girls' room was next door, he informed her, like she was some kind of _idiot!_

**_Oooooooh!_** She had had the urge to hospitalize him then and there.

Misuki came to rescue her 'darling' Shirai, but he unceremoniously dumped her…… _while they_ _were both standing in the boys' room_…… in front of witnesses.

In retrospect, that scene brought a smile to Kaname's face. It was **_so_** perfect. At the time, however, she was intent on beating some common sense into the head of one particular numbskull. Sousuke had thought it would be a great idea to interrogate Mizuki, looking for leads about the vile rumors that were being spread.

_Kaname had plastered him against the door with a textbook swing of her halisen._

She couldn't help grinning. Sousuke might be the reason she was in such a good mood now, but that _didn't_ make the memory any less satisfying. Especially when she though just how annoyed she was when she saw him tied up in knots by Shinji's stupid virtual girl dating simulation game.

"He is such an otaku!" She said to herself, before thinking back to the prior day again.

It had looked as if Sousuke was going to ruin **_Golden Week_** for her. Everywhere she went, he followed, trying to look as if he were _not_ with her. The newspaper with the eye hole cut out was much too much! She had smacked him good, angry that he couldn't simply stand next to her.

_Then, things took a turn for the worse._

Crying, Mizuke had walked by while they were waiting for the train home. She was placing large orders for food, charging it all to Shirai's credit card. Sousuke almost earned himself a boot right onto the train tracks when he wondered out loud if so many calls for food meant that Mizuki was hosting a meeting of terrorists.

Even now that question made her skin crawl. How could anyone be so stupid? How could some one be so utterly oblivious, pilot an Arm Slave, and **_not_** be the best member of the _other_ side?

_Mithril should lay in ruins by now!_

"Snap out of it, Kaname. Remember, Sousuke is the cause of your good mood." She sighed. That boy was a living breathing paradox. Shaking her head, she wondered why she had let Mizuki convince her to go along with her silly scheme.

The girl had decided that Sousuke would go out with her, so that her friends wouldn't know she had been tossed aside like yesterday's trash. By her warped logic, it was Kaname's and Sousuke's fault that she was in her predicament.

"What a dolt. Anyone could see that it was _Sousuke's_ fault. The big idiot!" Kaname blushed, realizing how loudly she had spoken. That military maniac could embarrass her when she was only thinking about him.

Well, his actions **_had_** shown that he had a kind heart. Either that, or he would take orders from _anyone_. Or, he had been intent on learning why he had chased away that damn _Virtual_ _Girl._

_What a nutcase._

Of course, since she couldn't bring Sousuke back to her parent's house to 'train' him, Mizuki invited herself over to Kaname's apartment to spend the night.

It **_should_** have been hilarious. Sousuke was such a dyed-in-the wool otaku, that Mizuki had a devil of a time trying to teach him how to act like a _normal _guy. Instead, Kaname found herself getting more and more irritated.

_Persistent nerdiness lost its charm _real_ fast._

Kaname stood frozen for a moment. She **_almost_** thought that she remembered being somewhat jealous when Mizuki was practicing saying 'I love you' to Sousuke.

Kaname couldn't help but chuckle, taking her memories further along. It had been _so_ aggravating watching Sousuke pretend to be Shirai in real time. Now it seemed so funny. As hard as he tried, he couldn't keep military stuff out of his conversation.

_She started choking when she remembered him comparing Mizuki's value to a spy satellite!_

She began to shudder. In her head, Sousuke's voice sounded better than it had been in the karaoke place---but, it was _still_ horrendous. She would **_never _** be able to listen to any of those songs again.

She clenched and unclenched her fists.

A military movie. He had chosen a _military_ movie for them all to see. On a supposed date! Not only that, he had stood up and shouted at the screen, upset at how everything was so inaccurate. There had been an explosion of soda and popcorn when she had clobbered him from here to Thursday with the halisen.

_Mizuke had to try and explain why Kaname was beating up on her boyfriend._

"Easy, Kaname...." The thought of the Mithril operative's behavior had her getting riled up.

She had needed to employ additional behavior modification on Sousuke when he was about to go Medieval on a UFO catcher that refused to let him win a stuffed animal. After that, things hadn't gotten any better.

They all ran into Shirai and a girl in the park. Everyone pretty much knew that Mizuki was lying at that point. She had blurted out his name, after all. But, while the girls were busy watching that soap opera unfold, Sousuke had decided to have another _uber-otaku_ moment.

_Angry at seeing Shirai there unexpectedly, heshot him with a rubber bullet!!!_

"Go, please give me strength...." Kaname couldn't help but grin. Sousuke's action had been irresponsible…… but, that pompous jackass Shirai had deserved it….

Then again, if **_she_** had had a gun at the time, she would have used it…… on Sousuke. Manami, Houko, and Madoka had tried the oldest ploy in the book. They gave Mizuki a simple 'test' to prove her feelings for Sousuke. If they were**_ truly_** boyfriend and girlfried, there should be no problem in getting them to kiss.

"Just like a damn episode of _Love Hina_. I don't know if I would have shot Sousuke or those damn brats...." Kaname closed her locker door, realizing that she had never taken out the things that she had come for.

_She didn't want to picture the next part._

Naturally, her perverse mind replayed it again and again, from various angles......at high speed and slow motion...with close ups and freeze frame: Sousuke swept Mizuki into his arms and kissed her.

"Jerk!" Kaname apologized to anyone within earshot. She hadn't meant them. No.

Relax. Remember.

_Sousuke is the cause of your good mood._

Mikzuke had run off crying. Kaname had explained to the girls in no uncertain terms just what kind of moron Sousuke was. He had ended up sitting in the lake. 

When she finally relented…..seeing just how naïve and childlike Sousuke was……his head had come rather close to his when she helped him up. She had thought he might be about to kiss **_her._** Not that she had been excited or receptive or anything. She had only _sounded_ nervous.

Then that clueless military misfit had asked her if she was ill, because her face was red. He thought it might be a circulatory problem.

"Baka!"

The memories of that incident should have stopped with her stomping away from Sousuke.

_Unfortunately, Mizuki's spitefulness was not limited to Shirai._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname remembered how angry she had been after the whole fake date thing.

But, at schooll the next day, everything had seemed to be back to normal. It wasn't until she had gotten to home that things began to get out of hand.

When the doorbell rang, she had run to open the door……simply because she didn't want to keep anyone waiting. It was **_not_** because she hoped to see Sousuke standing there.

_Absolutely not!_

It hadn't been Sousuke. It hadn't been only one man. It had been _six_ men, each pushing a large dolly.

"Miss Kaname Chidori?" A mangy emaciated man with halitosis asked, while making it a point to exhale right into her face.

"Yes?" She had answered.

_On retrospect, she should have simply closed the door and bolted it_

"We have your delivery. Will that be cash or charge?" Everybody stared at her intensely.

"Excuse me?" She knew there was a mistake.

"Cash or credit card. For your order, Miss. You need to **_pay_** us before we can finish the delivery." The man looked at one of his comrades and mouthed the words 'dumb broad.'

"Order?" There had been no order. Unless that military moron had done something crazy again!

"Geez…… it's **_always_** the ones with _blue_ hair. The order. The order that was called in. The order that we busted our buts bringing up here. Kaname Chidori called up and asked to have two dozen crates of fresh squid delivered to this address. You just said you are Kaname Chidori. This is your order. **O**..... **R**..... **D**..... **E**..... **R**."

_The men had all been laughing behind their hands._

"But, it must have been someone else. I did **_not_** order this." Kaname had been getting angry.

"Mary, mother of God. Just like my wife. She yells at me for forgetting where I put the remote, but **_she_** forgets where she left the kids. Listen….. Missy…… we have other deliveries to make. I have the bill here. If you pay us, we'll help wheel it into your apartment for you."

_The man had obviously been getting angry himself._

"I didn't place the order. It was a crank call. I am**_ not_** paying." She had closed the door.

"Bitch…." Kaname muttered under her breath.

At the time, she had had a good idea of what must have happened, after giving seen Mizuki's behavior on the train platform. The distraught and embarrassed girl had been afraid to get back at Sousuke, so she was taking it out on **_her._**

That was **_another_** one that she had decided she owed a certain scar-faced sergeant. Just because he had rescued her from a bunch of wacko scientists and mercenaries did _not_ mean that he wouldn't get what's coming to him.

Things should have ended there. But, she had heard a series of loud thumps. When she had put her ear to the door, she heard one of the men curse.

"**SHIT!** I'm_ not_ hauling that stinky crap back onto the truck and into the shop. You should _all_ do what I did. Dump it here. We can bill the bitch." They did exactly that. The hallway was cluttered with leaking crates of squid.

She had been about to call the Meat Shop and lodge a complaint. But, she had a better idea.

_She called Sousuke._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

Kaname's thoughts drifted back to the events that followed:

"Sousuke…… thank you for making it over here so quickly." She must have sounded frantic. Sousuke had made if over rather quickly.

Still, he had the nerve **_not_** to be sweaty or short of breath. For a moment she caught her breath. She was getting paranoid. She had actually wondered if Sousuke camped out on her roof at night.  
_  
She resolved to take a look after he left._

"It is **_not_** a problem. However, the hall way is filled with crates. _That_ is an unacceptable hazard. A terrorist or mugger would have plentiful places to hide."

"Yes. OK. Fine. Whatever you say. That's **_not_** why I called you. It's what's _in_ the crates..." Kaname stopped when Sousuke turned and headed back into the hallway.

"It's squid, Kaname." He put on the jacket he was carrying and turned around and prepared to leave.

"Sousuke, where..."

_What was he doing?_

"I have identified the contents for you, Kaname. It was not too difficult. I will ask Tessa to send over a book on invertebrates. You will be up to speed in no time. You are a bright girl. I need to return to my home work."

"Sousuke, I **_knew_** they were squid!" Kaname felt her hackles rising. "That's **_not_** why I asked you over."

"I would not be embarrassed Kaname. I will _not_ inform anybody of your deficiency. Except Tessa, when I ask for that book." Sousuke nodded.

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" Kaname looked around.

_Damn!_

The halisen was in her bedroom.

"The delivery men _told_ me it was squid!"

"I see. You really _should_ have trusted them. They likely had a work order, or perhaps packed the crates themselves. It would have saved me a trip over." The young soldier shook his head.

"_Ooooooh!_ Sousuke. Stay right there. If you move, I will hurt you." Kaname ran off, returning a few seconds later with her paper fan.

"Uh....." Sousuke looked at her hand, then at her face. "You said you would hurt me if I _moved_...."

"Yes. Damned if you do..."

_**SMACK! **_

"Damned if you don't."

_**WHACK! **_

"Let me try and get this through your thick Sousuke skull of yours. I _know_ what is in the boxes. I _knew_ what was in the boxes." Kaname finally opened her mouth again, but paused. She finally wised up.

_This was the kind of thinking a class representative should be able to do. _

"It's about a conspiracy, Sousuke." She put on a serious face.

**That made all the difference in the world.**

Sousuke's look went from clueless to stern, almost immediately. He closed the door, took out his pistol, and removed a transceiver from his pocket. He also took out a bolo…… a combat knife…… two flash bangs…… and a garotte.

_Kaname stopped him before he started on the pockets on the other side._

"At ease, soldier!" Kaname voice was deep and loud.

Out of reflex, Sousuke spread his legs apart and put his hands behind his back. Kaname smiled. If only she had her whistle.

"Kaname, if there is a danger...." Sousuke was n**_ot_** about to stay at ease for long. Not if he thought Kaname was at risk.

"It's not **_that_** type of conspiracy. It was Mizuki." Kaname tried hard not to growl.

"Uh..." Sousuke looked around the room.

"What are you _doing_, Sousuke?" Kaname was **_not_** in the mood for an otakufest.

_Far from it!_

"I was searching for the nearest large container of water. We are no longer in proximity to the lake." Sousuke wasn't joking.

"It's _OK,_ Sousuke." Kaname smiled. She had him worried. Or, at least cautious. _Good._ "I've forgotten all about **_that_** incident." That was only partially a lie.

"I see. Then it is _not_ a problem." Sousuke looked pensive. "Does that mean that your circulatory problem has normalized? One can _never_ be too cautious with physical imperfections."

"I'm **_fine_**, Sousuke." Kaname grabbed hold of the nearby chair. That was the one way she could keep from picking up the halisen again.

"It _could_ have been a neurological disorder, instead. I discussed your case with various physicians at the Mithril base. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Mental illness is nobody's fault. That **_might_** explain why you threw me into the water."

"It.... is.... not.... a.... mental.... disorder!" Kaname followed Sousuke's eyes. They were watching her hands. Her hands were twitching uncontrollably as she fought not to grab her paper fan.

_She knew what he must be thinking._

"Kaname, are you still upset because I put my lips on Mizuki's?" Sousuke looked perplexed.

Kaname froze.

She could feel the chill move up her body, from her toes up to her head, until she pictured herself as a giant ice sickle. Figurative cracks formed in her feet and spread upward.

_Then, she felt as if she shattered into a thousand pieces._

"**Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha hah!** No. Of _course_ not. Why should I? That didn't mean anything to me. I was just worried about Mizuki at the time. She's an emotionally fragile girl..." Kaname felt herself blushing. God save him if he mentions anything about a circulatory problem again!

"I see. Is _that_ the conspiracy? **_We_** are conspiring behind _Miss Inaba's_ back? Do you wish for me to become better at putting my mouth on hers, so that she is not disappointed the next time we agree to help her deceive her friends?" Sousuke began to sweat. "Uh... did you... uh... call me here to help me _practice?"_

_Kaname helped him study everything else._

Kaname was ice again. But, this time she felt warmth replacing the chill. Soon, it felt as if the ice were turning directly into steam. Her face felt as if it was on fire.

"Chidori, should I get a doctor?" Sousuke looked concern. "Your coloration….. such a drastic change….. perhaps it is something hormonal...."

There was a blur.

Sousuke fell back over the chair... tripped over an ottoman... crashed to the ground at the foot of an end table... pulled off the cloth coverlet... and had the full contents of the vase spill down over him.

_Water again._

Looking at the halisen in her hand, Kaname **_did_** indeed begin to question her sanity: Why had she called him?

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x **

When Kaname calmed down---and Sousuke dried off---she managed to explain the situation to him.

It took some doing. He was stuck on the motivational aspect of things. He had no idea why Mizuki would do such a thing.

It was the whole teenage dating void again. Once she had Mizuki's plan explained, Kaname moved on to **_her_** idea.

_At first, Sousuke was reluctant to play along._

"Kaname, you have told me in the past that revenge is **_not_** the answer. You also explained that you were fed up with 'otaku nonsense.' And, I was told to just let 'girls be girls.' Are you changing the rules?"

"No, Sousuke. Those are the rules for **_you_**. There are a different set of rules for _me_." She grumbled seeing the resultant look on his face. "Get over it!" she groused.

"It is **_not_** a problem. But, I must record this in my log book." Sousuke wrote down 'More Notes On Kaname Chidori,' 'duplicity,' 'double-standard,' and had started writing 'emotional lability' when the young lady in question threw the book off the balcony.

"I hope no one finds that book, Kaname. That is where I wrote down the confidences you told me, so I could always keep my story straight."

_Pushed, Sousuke soon went over the balcony after the book._

"I do **_not_** think that it is proper for a Specialist to become involved in a matter of petty vengeance." Sousuke had said when he made his way back up to the room.

_"Really?"_ Kaname asked. She had **_her_** book out now. She wrote down 'petty' and 'fifteen lashes, large fan.'

"Yes. Legal issues aside, the mission would require more than two people, and...."

"Thank you, Sousuke! You are absolutely correct. It is **_so_** nice having a military consultant on my side!" Kaname smiled at the look on his face.

"But..."

"If _that's_ all you are willing to contribute, so be it. If you don't want to help me in my hour of need, I will try to understand." She fought to keep a smile off of her face.

_This should be like taking candy from a baby._

"But..."

"It is my mistake. I **_thought_** you were my friend. I won't make _that_ mistake again." She coughed to cover a laugh.

"But..."

"I'll probably get caught by the police doing this on my own. Those stories of police brutality are likely nothing more than an urban legend." She coughed again. "I hope!"

"But..."

"And Lord knows the type of people who will be in the holding cell." Unable to keep from grinning, she turned her head away. She began to shiver intentionally.

_Sousuke might think she was about to cry._

"I'll be so vulnerable out there. I'll be easy prey. If the police don't get me, some terrorist group might."

_That out to bait the hook._

"But..."

"Or, I **_might_** end up getting shot by Mizuke's father. I can see the headlines now. Of course, I doubt Tessa would blame _you,_ Sousuke. Not even if she finds out I was caught on a clumsy commando raid."

_That should serve to jerk the line, setting the hook._

Eventually, Sousuke gave in. On one condition: he would be calling the shots, not Kaname. She acquiesced.

He then called the safe house. Kurz and Melissa were in town, providing back-up in case the remnants of any cell that Gauron had put together might decide to pay Kaname a visit.

Melissa, of course, was dead set against professionals taking part in any such nonsense. "It is **_not_** our f-cking business," she had said. "Can you imagine Mithril's cover being blown over something like _this?"_

Kurz, by means of comparison, was gung ho. "I see you realize what side your bread is buttered on, Sousuke old pal. You **_know_** you need the ole Weber charm and good luck. Just like Melissa **_knows_** she wants me. I'll..."

_The line went dead for a while. _

When contact was re-established, Kurz could barely articulate his willingness to join the team. Melissa decided to go along to keep everyone else out of trouble, and out of the media.

"It will cost, Sousuke. **_Big time_**." Melissa was a true mercenary at heart. "Five cases of bear. One dozen cans of crab." There was a pause. "And a night of steamy sex."

_Sousuke heard Kurz moan in the back ground._

"Uh..." Sousuke almost dropped the phone.

"What is it Sousuke?" Kaname looked concerned.

"Five cases of beer..." Sousuke said, sweating.

"Tell her to consider it a gift," Kaname said magnanimously.

"Twelve cans of crab..." Sousuke said, swallowing.

"That too,"Kaname said with a brusque wave of her hand.

"Uh..."

"What else, Sousuke?" Kaname figured it was something similar. Probably a number of packs of cigarettes.

"Uh..."

"SOUSUKE?"

"Uh..."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

"Here... I... uh... ask Sgt. Major Mao..." Sousuke could not get himself to repeat what his squad leader had said.

Sousuke watched Kaname's color change. Pink became salmon…… salmon became scarlet…… scarlet became deepest crimson. She turned shades that he didn't even know existed.

"S-S-Sex..." she stuttered. Listening some more, she suddenly looked relieved. "Oh! You didn't _really_ mean you want to have sex with him. I see" Her smile vanished. "Who? **_Me?_** And _**him?**"_

_Kaname dropped the phone._

Naturally, Melissa had only been joking. Hearing Kaname's response was worth more to her than the beer and the canned crab. The two Mithril operatives would come over to Kaname's apartment for the planning session.

_Mizuki was going to learn not to mess with Kaname Chidori._


	2. Chapter 2

It was like night and day.

In school, Sousuke was a _total disaster_, and Kaname was _master of all she surveyed._

But, put stealthy clothes on Sousuke…… blacken his face with make-up…… and put a weapon in his hand…… and he becomes a _god._ In contrast, in that setting, Kaname becomes a _fish out_ _of water._

Throughout the entire operation, she spent more time watching Sousuke than she did paying attention to her surroundings or the other two Mitrhil agents. Melissa, as sharp as ever, caught on fairly soon. Kurz, ever the egotist and optimist, merely thought that Kaname found him sexually intimidating.

_Sousuke was confident._

Everything he did had a purpose. One thing led seamlessly into another. His ability to react on the fly was nothing short of phenomenal.

Kaname began to understand why someone his age was so highly valued by Mithril. The simple things that he did on that comical little adventure impressed her more than all that he had done after climbing into that RK-92 in Khanka.

_She didn't want to think about that now._

The blue-haired girl learned that the otaku things Sousuke spouted often contained great wisdom.

'_**The preparation for a military operation is often much more important than the actual execution of the plan.' **_

That statement was proven many times over that night. It didn't hurt that the three Mithril soldiers were in a league of there own; but, it was the utter simplicity and daring panache of the planning that made the difference.

Unnoticed, Sousuke slipped into the Inaba household during dinner. He reconnoitered...... recorded conversations….. planned the best ways of entrance and egress…... and planted a timer attached to a small canister of gas.

Melissa had wanted to use a knock out agent, but Sousuke would not agree to that plan.

'_That would be an attack on their persons. They have done nothing to deserve that.' _

Kaname had been of a mind to argue, but didn't. There was a breathtaking nobility in the way the young soldier had stood up for the rights of people who had no meaning to him, simply because it was the right thing to do.

'**Absolute power corrupts absolutely.' **

He had quoted that to her once. It annoyed her at the time. Now, however, she was impressed by his restraint.

Kurz had sided with Sousuke. His young companion's plan had a number of things going for it.

There would be no assault on persons. There would be no irreparable damage to the home. There would be an opportunity Weber The Magnificent to be on center stage again, if only for a little while.

Kaname had a flashback, remembering the day that Kurz had affected an accent and pretended to be a foreigner needing Kyouko's and her assistance. His performance this time was much better.

No shots were fired. No bombs went off. No exotic equipment left the safe house. No watches were synchronized.

_None of those were needed._

The delay of a few hours proved worthwhile: A simple white Mithril van was brought to a lettering shop, and an appropriate sign and logo were airbrushed on its sides. Instructions called into a knowledgeable document and license maker led to the creation of the necessary fake I.D. and _Industry Alert _papers.

"It's **_ethyl-methyl-poly-vinyl-chloro-dextro-craminate_**," Kurz had told Mizuke's father.

"We have had word of a tanker truck accident to the east. If you smell anything strange in your house, evacuate immediately, then head _west._ Call this number when you are at least two miles away."

The spiel had the man sweating. Mizuke and her mother hugged each other, frightened by what they are hearing.

"Do not try to rescue pets or belongings," Kurz added. "Sufficient expose can lead to permanent pulmonary damage **_and_** impotence." That last comment had the man considering the benefit of going on their family vacation immediately.

_The act was perfect. Kurz even had a small sample of the gas that Sousuke had smuggled into the house. _

"This is a very similar compound. It is comparable in smell, but harmless in this small amount. Here, everybody take a whiff."

Kurz' act earned him a kiss on the cheek from Kaname, who had been listening to every word in the second Mithril van.

He was on cloud nine for exactly ten seconds after that show of appreciation.

"Well, Weber. You made **_one_** tragic error." Melissa's look was very intense.

Kurz gulped. "Sis, it was _perfect_. I..." The long-haired blond tried to think of anything he slipped up on.

"That's right. **_That's_** my point exactly. You _can_ do something right. Now, I'm going to expect that again in the future!" No one could tell whether or not Melissa was joking.

Melissa handed a wad of bills to Sousuke. Kaname did likewise.

_A bet is a bet…_

"I had faith in you," Sousuke said. "I do not like to bet; but, it was an order."

Melissa smiled.

Kurz pouted. Then, his giant grin returned.

"So, how about sharing you winnings with Kurzeroo? After all, none of this would be possible with out the one and only."

"Sorry. I cannot. Orders." Sousuke's deadpan delivery had Melissa in stitches.

After that, it was just a matter of waiting.

At the appointed hour, Melissa flicked a switch, sending out a quick pulsed signal. The receiver on the device Sousuke planted received the signal... released a powerful spring... and punctured the gas canister. Moments later, screaming could be heard on the microphones Sousuke had left behind.

Soon, the family car came barreling out of the driveway, knocking down a mailbox and sending a group of full garbage cans careening down the street.

**It was time to get to work.**

The three soldiers dumped the crates of squid on the front steps, across the foyer, and throughout the adjoining kitchen. Kaname kept one crate for her own personal use. She banged her knees innumerable times, lugging the hefty box up the stairs. But, she didn't care.

_Payback time!_

Squid found their way into Mizuki's futon. Purses and pockets overflowed with a bounty of squid. With some work, minced squid added an avantgarde character to the girl's perfumes, body rinses, and shampoo.

It took little experimentation to learn that shoes make excellent squid-holders.

Leaving the room, Kaname caught sight of Mizuki's extensive collection of stuffed animals. They looked so lonely. They looked so bored. Before heading back downstairs, she gave each one a squid.

Kurz, of course, had the final contribution. He left a note on the kitchen floor:

**_HARKEN!_**

Alert the politician

The plunder of our Great Mother the sea must cease

Further trespassing and violation will lead to tragedy  


**_Fish-eaters repent!_**

THE TIME IS AT HAND!!!

The letterhead on the note read 'New Squid Militia.'****The name signed was 'Nick Pollotta.'

That latter came from Sousuke. He had read a fiction book titled _'That Darn Squid God._' The story, depicting the Duterian Empire's attempt to usher in the return of that malevolent entity, was an entertaining read in the vein of Sherlock Holmes adventures and other Victorian tales.

_It was penned by Nick Pollotta._

Of course, Mizuki would eventually realize the truth---_especially_ since Kaname left an open phone book on her bed, the number of the Meat Shop circled with lipstick. She wondered if the irksome girl would ever admit her role in things to her distraught parents.

As the van pulled away, Kaname noted that the neighborhood cats would have a very pleasant evening.

_Every feline within ten city blocks was on a bee-line for Mizuke's house._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

Kaname waved while yelling across the quad.

"**SOUSUKE**….. **_OVER HERE_**…."

Hearing his name, Sousuke walked over, keeping a sharp eye on everyone walking near Kaname.

"I've been looking for you, Sousuke!!!" The look on her face was rather intense.

_Sousuke misinterpreted her piercing stare._

"Uh...."

"Sousuke?"

"I...."

"SOUSUKE???"

"Errr..."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

"I apologize, Kaname." Sousuke bowed. His gaze left her face, looking back to the school. A long plume of smoke snaked its way skyward.

"What happened?" Kaname didn't frown. She did not reach for her fan.

_In fact, she hadn't even brought the halisen with her._

"A boy was acting rather strangely. I watched him from concealment. When he thought no one was looking, he placed something in your locker." Sousuke was sweating.

"So you blew it up?" Kaname's face was still angelic.

"Yes."

"Oh, that's OK." She smiled.

"Uh... _OK?_ You didn't know about that? Then it must have been the **_other_** thing..."

"_Other thing,_ Sousuke?" Kaname kept seeing the look on Mizuki's face in her head. It was such a **wonderful **day.

"Yes. Again, I apologize."

"Why?"

"The ball field."

"What about the ball field, Sousuke?" Kaname looked in that direction. A huge cloud of dust dulled the look of the late afternoon sun.

"I do not believe you will have your softball match tomorrow." Sousuke kicked at the dirt with his shoe.

"Oh?" Kaname tossed her hair. She undid her bow and refashioned it.

"There was a man with a shovel and a bag of large objects. He was digging in the dirt, planting those items."

"Those were the _bases_, Sousuke. I told you that before." Kaname took out her mirror and checked her lipstick.

"Yes. But, this was a **_different_** man. I had not known he was the new grounds-keeper until after the grenade."

"I see." Kaname pulled one of her stockings up a bit.

"He _should_ be out of the hospital in time for next week's game."

"It's not a problem, Sousuke." Kaname chuckled, thinking about a house full of squid. She wished she could have been a fly on the wall.

"You did not know that either?" Sousuke couldn't understand why Kaname wasn't acting in her usual fashion.

"What else did you do, Sousuke?" Kaname wasn't angry. But, she did want him to finish getting things off of his chest.

_Until he finished with his confession, they couldn't leave._

"Uh...."

"Sousuke?"

"Ummm...."

"It's OK, Sousuke."

"A large box arrived with your name on it. Nothing else. No explanatory paperwork. No manifesto declaring its authenticity. " Sousuke was twiddling his fingers. Kaname smiled.

_She'd never seen that normal gesture done by him before._

"Yes, it was for the front of the school. Part of the beautification project paid by this year's fund raisers." She had spent a lot of time and energy organizing bake sales, magazine drives, sports pledges, and the likes.

"It was ticking, Kaname."

"Of course. It is a large clock." The fancy artifice would be erected at the groundbreaking ceremony next week. It should become one of the most talked about neighborhood attractions.

"**_Was_** a clock, Kaname." He looked over near the loading bay. A number of fire trucks were there. The arcing spray of water created a miniature rainbow.

"Exploded that too?" Kaname checked her nails.

Sousuke just nodded his head.

"OK, now that you got all that you're done reporting, its time for ice cream." She patted her purse with her hand.

"Ice cream, Kaname?"

"Yes. My treat." She smiled and started walking. She stopped when Sousuke remained standing.

"It is not too long before dinner time, Kaname. Why would you wish to go for ice cream? It is low in nutritive value." Sousuke looked puzzled.

"For **_fun_**, Sousuke!" There was a touch of steel in her voice.

"Fun, Kaname?" He still didn't move.

The blue-haired girl squared her shoulders. Did Sousuke mean _'What does the word 'fun'_ _mean?'_ or _'Why would ice cream be fun?'_

**Neither one would create the perfect mood.**

"You _do_ know what fun is, don't you Sousuke?"

"Uh..."

"_Everybody _has something they think is fun!" Kaname shook her finger at him. "Even otakus."

"I..."

"Sousuke. Tell me something you think is fun. And **_don't_** mention books, movies, or anything to do with weapons or warfare." Kaname checked her watch.

_They did have homework to do, after all._

"Ummm..."

"**NOW, SOLDIER!**" Kaname's hands went to her hips. Her face grew cloudy.

"Errr... I... uh... being around _you_ is fun…… I think." Sousuke couldn't bring himself to make eye contact with Kaname."

Kaname was speechless. Her mouth fell open. Her chest rose and fell with deep fast respirations. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Warmth came to her cheeks, then spread everywhere else.

"Are you alright, Kaname?" Sousuke looked concerned.

"Uh..." Kaname felt as if she was floating, with no attachment to the ground.

"KANAME."

"Ummm..." The breeze had never felt so good.

"**KANAME!!!**" Sousuke's shout broke Kaname's reverie.

"Yes. Let's go get that ice cream, Sousuke. You _have_ had ice cream before, haven't you?" Kaname began humming a happy little tune.

"I have tasted it before. On occasion, the commanders would buy some for the submarine crew. I did **_not_** understand the relevance of it. Sgt. Major Mao ordered me to try some."

_Kaname stopped dead in her tracks._

"Kaname? Are you OK?" Sousuke thought about asking about her circulatory problem. He decided not to. Kaname seemed very self-conscious about it.

"You don't understand the 'relevance?'" Kaname's voice carried an accent of total disbelief.

"No."

"Dessert doesn't _need _to have any special meaning, Sousuke. It is **_not_** supposed to have great nutritional value. It's all about the _taste,_ silly!" Kaname felt as if she were lecturing the first alien to land on earth.

"I have **_not_** placed much importance on taste, Kaname. Food serves a purpose. It fuels the body. It keeps one alive. The flavor of protein bars is not to my disliking."

"That's _terrible_, Sousuke!" Kaname was shocked. She realized that Sousuke was different. She kept finding out just how different each and every day.

"It is **_not_** a problem. When I was very young……and on my own…… I had to eat what I could find. After meals of raw rat, dog, rotten fruit, and moldy refuse, I learned not to pay attention to taste. It is a useful skill to have in the military."

Kaname put her hand over her mouth. "Garbage?"

Sousuke nodded.

She started swaying on her feet. "DOG??"

Sousuke nodded again.

She put her hand to her forehead. "**RAT???**"

"Yes. Most often they were dead."

_Kaname tripped and fell to the ground._

"I had no idea. I'm s-s-sorry, Sousuke." She fondly remembered her childhood. She had seen a rat once, on a family trip to the city. It had glared at her from a pile of garbage. At the time, it was the most horrible thing she had ever seen. She cringed thinking about the words 'most often.'

**This was not a conversation she wanted to have on the way to ice cream.**

Sousuke gave Kaname a hand up. He promised himself to take Kaname to a doctor after ice cream. A medical professional might have something to correct Kaname's obvious anemia.

"Well, enough about the past. You're with Kaname Chidori now. Who better to teach you about good taste?" She smiled.

Sousuke didn't answer.

"**_First,_** I will explain ice cream to you, since you don't seem to know anything about it!" Kaname sat Sousuke down on a bench and assumed an authoritative pose.

"That is incorrect, Kaname."

_"What?"_ Kaname was caught off guard. Sousuke had said he had never really eaten ice cream.

"I have come across reference to ice cream in the past. A flavored ice concoction was popular in China, thousands of years ago. "

"Uh..." Kaname was stunned. Sousuke couldn't possibly do it! He couldn't turn ice cream into something otaku, _right?_

"In _500 B.C.,_ the ancient Greeks refreshed themselves with a mixture of snow from Mount Olympus, mixed with fruit juices."

"I..." Kaname felt her face redden again, for a different reason.

"Alexander the Great would motivate his soldiers with a similar treat one hundred and fifty years later. He had large trenches dug and filled with ice. The ice was flavored with honey and nectar."

"Errr..." The vessels at Kaname's temples were throbbing. Her vision blurred slightly.

"Nero sent runners to the mountains of the Alpennines for snow in the _first century B.C._ That was before Rome burned, of course."

_He skipped ahead a number of centuries._

"King Charles I of England paid the man who brought the recipe for ice cream to his nation a large stipend to keep it a royal prerogative. He was beheaded soon after that. I do **_not_** know if there was a connection." Sousuke rubbed his chin.

"I..." Kaname clenched her teeth.

"In World War II, the American armed forces competed furiously with each other, to see who could outdo the other by serving ice cream to the troops." Sousuke paused to cough. "Of course, soldiers are never happy. The Americans had more ice cream than they knew what to do with. The British gave their troops beer rations. Each group of men was envious of the other."

"Sous---" Kaname was shaking.

"In addition, I once read a book called _'The Ice Cream War.'"_

Kaname's eyes narrowed at that last word.

"It was about a little know conflict during the first World war. A small German expeditionary force in Tanzania, led by Colonel von Lettow-Vorbeck, defeated a vastly larger joint British and Indian landing force. The Germans were aided by millions of angry bees whose hives had been destroyed by gunfire."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**" Kaname kicked Sousuke in the shins. "This is about having fun today, _not _stupid stuff that happened before we were even born!" She kicked him again. "**_Fun_**, Sousuke." Another kick, harder than the last. "Do you understand? _**Fun!**"_ One more kick. "My treat."

Sousuke didn't know what to say. By reflex he simply said "Thank you, Kaname."

_It was the correct answer. _

Kaname's smile returned, then blossomed. "You know, you can really be sweet when you put your mind to it." She patted him on the cheek.

"Thank you Kaname." If it worked once, why not use it again?

_Kaname blushed._

"OK, where was I? Forgetting any possible military references...." Kaname's look suggested grievous harm if Sousuke did otherwise. "Let me tell you about ice cream. It is simply one of the most wonderful creations known to man. It is **_so-o-o-o-o_** creamy...." Kaname closed her eyes, looking ready to swoon.

"I must apologize, Kaname. I do _not_ wish you to go misinformed. Current ice cream is **_not_** made with actual cream. It consists of 10-16 milk fat; 9-12 milk solids other than fat; 12-16 sweeteners, usually a combination of sucrose or glucose-based corn syrup; 0.2-0.5 stabilizers and emulsifiers, such as agar ; and 55-64 water, which comes from milk and other ingredients. About 50 of the actual volume of the food stuff is air incorporated during the whipping process. Frozen custard contains egg yolk as well. Ice milk has less than 10 milk fat. Sherbert has only 1-2 milk fat and a greater amount of sweetener. Sorbet contains fruit puree and no milk products."

**Sousuke managed to get that all out with a single breath.**

Kaname wasn't angry.

_She was too stunned to be angry. _

Sousuke did not eat ice cream, but sounded as if he had a PhD in icecreamology.

"How?"

"After Sgt. Major Mao ordered me to consume the ice cream, I did extensive research. I trust her judgment implicitly. I wished to find out what ingredients made ice cream a valuable resource for the warrior. Sadly, I found none. It is the only faulty command I can attribute to her."

Sousuke?" Kaname spoke little above a whisper.

"Yes?"

"Do me a favor..." Her voice grew a little louder.

"Kaname?"

"**DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD UNTIL I ASK YOU TO!"** She was only a decibel or two shy of shouting.

"Yes, Kaname!" Sousuke stiffened and snapped off a salute.

"Sousuke...." Kaname spoke quietly again, moving her finger, beckoning Sousuke to come closer.

"Kaname?"

"**_NO SALUTING!!!_**" Kaname looked ready to bite.

"By your command."

"_Oooooooooh!"_ Kaname grabbed Sousuke by the collar. "Didn't I tell you '**DON'T SAY** **ANOTHER WORD'**?"

"Y---" Sousuke wisely stayed quiet.

After that, Kaname settled down and began to describe the wonders of ice cream. The coolness. The creaminess. The many amazing flavors. She told him about the place that ice cream had in her heart. I represented everything that was good and right and pure.

"No doubt it was ice cream that is responsible for me being as sweet as I am today." She looked at Sousuke expectantly. When he didn't say anything she stomped her foot and said _"Hmmmpppfff!_ Some gentleman you are."

Sousuke shook his head, opened his mouth, and pointed with his finger.

"Oh, that's right. You have my permission to speak, Sousuke." Kaname swept her hand out, a truly generous gesture.

**Sousuke remained silent.**

"Sousuke?" The generosity evaporated.

The young soldier said nothing.

"**_SOUSUKE!_**" Kaname clenched her hands into fists.

"Thank you, Kaname."

_That had worked before. He couldn't think of anything else at that moment._

"For **_what_** ?" Kaname looked very cross.

Sousuke's battlefield experience came to his rescue then. The 'Fog of Dealing With a Teenage Girl' was not that different than the 'Fog of war.' If one tactical approach failed, one must try another.

"Yes, Kaname. Sweet." It worked. Bullseye. Kaname smiled.

While they walked to the JR line, Kaname still had a smile on her face. On the ride to Ikebukuro Station, that smile never left her face for an instant. Strolling to _Ice Cream City_, the smile remained.

**That was Kaname's record for smile endurance around Sousuke.**

For a while, Kaname even took hold of Sousuke's arm.

Sousuke looked somewhat confused, but he kept quiet. He let Kaname do as she pleased. That alone made it was a miraculous day.

_He was learning.  
_


	3. Chapter 3

A warm breeze played with the tip of Kaname's hair as she watched Sousuke.

"Kaname, why are there so _many_ varieties?" Sousuke was staring at the ice cream menu. "Doesn't that make it more difficult to choose?"

"Don't you **_like_** variety, Sousuke?" Kaname didn't want this to turn into a chore. She hoped that Sousuke wouldn't ask her to give a tactical briefing on each and every flavor.

_It would be best to nip that possibility in the bud._

"The variable settings in an Arm Slave are preferable to older less capable systems." Sousuke rubbed his chin.

"This is **_not_** about Arm Slaves, Sousuke! It's about _ice cream_. It's about _taste_. It's about _preferences_. There **_must_** be something…… outside of the military….. that you are familiar with, and has multiple possibilities." Kaname tried to reign in her temper.

Sousuke stared at her.

"Sousuke?" Kaname raised one eyebrow.

"He continued to stare. Opening his mouth, he thought twice, then closed it again.

"What were you going to say, Sousuke? I promise I won't get mad." Kaname bit her lip. Had she upset him somehow?

"_You_, Kaname."

_"**W-W-What???**"_ Kaname hadn't expected _that_ answer.

"You can be very nice. Sometimes you help me with homework or bring me a bento."

_Sousuke held up one finger._

"OK. _And_..."

Kaname began tapping one finger against the side of her cheek.

"Other times you can be somewhat intense and overbearing."

_Sousuke held up a second finger._

"I see. Go on..."

Kaname set her jaw and began rubbing her hands together.

"There are instances when you behave overly emotional with a disturbing decrease in cognitive functions."

_Souuske had three fingers up now._

"Decrease in cognitive functions. How nice..."

Kaname's shoulders tightened up. He eyes narrowed.

"You can be very harsh. At times your violent tendencies can border on the pathologic. Or so Captain Testarossa has insisted at times."

_A fourth finger went up._

"Oh.....**_ really_**..... Sousuke....." Kaname was about to kick him, but stopped. That would only reinforce his opinion. It would by no means prove him right, however.

She would wait for another occasion and get him _twice._

Sousuke went silent. He correctly judged that Kaname was unhappy. Was it because she had difficulty accepting the truth? Regardless, he would need to tread carefully now.

**The silence annoyed Kaname almost as much as Sousuke's fingers did.**

"Hmmmmm. I believe we were talking about multiple choices and preferences."

"Affirmative! I prefer you when you are very nice, Kaname."

"That's not what I...." Kaname's first impulse was to puff her self up and say that it was not a matter of _his_ choosing how she should behave. Instead, she saw a golden opportunity: a way to get Sousuke to finally see something she had tried to show him all along.

"That's very reasonable, Sousuke. Have you figured out the connection yet?" Kaname looked him directly in the eyes.

"Kaname?" Sousuke had his well-practices blank stare.

"**_When_** I'm very nice. **_Why_** I'm overbearing. **_What_** makes me emotional. And **_who_** makes me violent?" Kaname smiled. Even Sousuke should be able to figure out the answer to this one.

_Sousuke stood quietly, rubbing the top of his head._

"Sousuke?" Kaname began tapping her foot.

**If they were going for ice cream, she would actually like to get some.**

"Ummm... is it a woman thing? .... errrr..... Sgt. Major Mao says that if we were smart, we wouldn't let her have weapons during a certain part of the month…." Sousuke nodded his head. _That must be it._ "That is not a problem, Kaname. You cannot help that you are a woman."

Kaname froze in place. He brain kept waiting for an answer that didn't come. The answer Sousuke gave set fire to a short fuse.

"How can you be so _**dense?**"_ She stood nose to nose with Sousuke.

"How, Kaname?" Sousuke didn't flinch.

"Why **_me?_** " Kaname actually tugged at her hair.

"I do not know, Kaname."

"**OOOOOOOH!!!**" Kaname forced herself to count to twenty. "Let me put this as plainly as possible." She took a piece of paper and a pen out of her pocket. "_Here_, Sousuke. Write down what I tell you. Study it. There will be a pop quiz in the future. If you don't get it right, I'm going to _pop_ you one!"

"I am prepared, Kaname." Sousuke nodded his head.

"That's what scares me, Sousuke. That's what scares me." Kaname shook her head. "I am very nice_ when you behave well_. That means behaving just like any **_other_** teenage boy."

"I see," Sousuke said, writing. "You will be nice **_if_** I write things about you on the bathroom walls. It would also require that I stare at more at girls' breasts and buttocks, making and exaggerated sounds of approval. I can attempt those. However, flatulence as humor might require a different diet. Should I also scratch myself in public, Kaname?"

"**_Sousuke, you moron!_**" Kaname couldn't hold back any longer. "What I _meant_ was that you…… like every other boy in school…… should not shoot, knife, trap, explode, or otherwise destroy any object you might find suspicious! _Big idiot!!!"_

"Why did you not just say that, Kaname?" Sousuke shrugged.

"**AHHHHHHHH!!!** " Kaname stamped her foot. "**_SOUSUKE!!!_**" she kicked him in the shin, hard.

"Are we going to discuss what makes you violent, Kaname?" Sousuke looked down at her foot.

"That was **_not_** violent, Sousuke. That was _demonstrative._ Keep up your foolish questions and you **_will _**get a good view of both emotional and violent!" Kaname showed all her teeth.

"Foolish, Kaname?" Sousuke cocked his head.

"**OOOOOOOH! NOT A WORD. NOT _ANOTHER_ WORD**!" Kaname almost forgot about ice cream. "I am overbearing _when a certain sergeant proves totally clueless_. I am emotional _when a particular soldier stresses me beyond all reasonable limits_. I become violent _when that_ _same boy pushes all of my buttons!"_

"**_Buttons_**, Kaname? Girls have buttons?" The look on Sousuke's face would have been comical if it wasn't so tragic.

"**_THAT'S IT! THAT'S ALL I CAN TAKE!!!_**" Kaname turned to leave. She realized that the two of them were surrounded by a ring of people eating their ice cream. To them, it had been better than _'Shakespeare In The Park.'_

Kaname blushed. She was not going to leave all those people with the impression that she was a psychopath or something. She would have to find some way to salvage her dignity.

_She changed tact altogether._

"Enough about **_me,_** Sousuke. We were discussing varieties and ice cream." She next crossed a line in the sand, one she had sworn _never_ to cross. She was going to speak to him in the otaku tongue. "Let me put it this way. Is there only one variety of submachine gun?"

"No Kaname, there are many. I have told you that on numerous occasions." He had. But, she had never seemed to listen. It looks like she _had._

Kaname frowned.

**She remembered those same occasions all too well.**

"Do you, Kurz, and Melissa all favor the same type?" Kaname felt her face. God be praised. She hadn't turned into a pillar of salt..._yet._

"No. I prefer---"

"That's enough, Sousuke. Don't tell me what. Tell me **_why_**." She should get a medal for this. Maybe a statue.

"Each of us values one characteristic over another. All weapons may be good, but some will be better at certain things. It is a matter of preference, Kaname."

"**_Exactly!_** That is why there are different flavors, Sousuke. There are many people making the choices. Also, in ice cream, people like to try something different sometimes. The tongue has many characteristics. Some flavors will serve better than others on a given day, Sousuke."

_She had to say it._

"Each day at an ice cream stand is a different mission, Sousuke." Good thing Kyouko, Ryo, or Maya didn't hear her speaking like _that!_

"I see. Thank you, Kaname. You have impressive skills as an instructor." Sousuke nodded his head again. He almost grinned.

Kaname smiled.

"Well then, it should be easy now!" Kaname said cheerfully.

"No."

_"What?"_

"I still cannot decide, Kaname. I do not have enough intelligence." He meant that in the military sense.

Kaname let that opportunity pass. She knew what he meant. "I think I know what might help." When it was their time to order, Kaname asked the woman at the serving window "Do you offer sampler cups here?"

"We sure do, young lady." She showed Kaname a thimble-sized plastic cup. She quoted one price for a single cup, and another price for one dozen samples.

**Perfect!**

"We'll take a dozen, please. We'll come back for cones later." She turned to Sousuke. "Do you want to select some at random, Sousuke? Or would you prefer to try the most popular flavors?"

"I will trust you, Kaname. I will allow **_you_** to run this operation."

For some reason, the use of military terminology didn't bother Kaname. In fact, in context, it made her smile.

_He trusted her judgment._

"OK. Let's start off with the eight most popular flavors. Please give us one _green tea_..... one _vanilla_..... one _red bean_..... one _chocolate_.... one _lychee_..... one _rum raisin_..... one _adzuki_ _bean_..... and one mango." Kaname took a moment to run her eyes down the list again. "How about _sweet potato_..... _strawberry_..... _saury_..... and _caramel_."

That ought to be a good variety. If he liked one certain type, that would give Kaname a good idea where his tastes lay.

They walked over to a secluded bench, situated under a beautiful cascade of flowering branches. Birds hopped from branch to branch over their heads. Bees went about their business, flying from blossom to blossom.

"Here you go Sousuke," Kaname handed Sousuke a plastic tray with the twelve samples of ice cream. "I'm sorry, but they **_don't_** carry garbage, dog or rat. They were all out of protein bar."

"Kaname?"

"Sorry. Bad joke. Here, dig in. Let me know what you think."

_She handed Sousuke a tiny plastic spoon._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

As it turned out, trying a dozen different flavors _didn't_ exactly make things easier for Sousuke.

But, Kaname was delighted. She was so certain that Sousuke would only like vanilla. Instead, he seemed to find something positive to say about everything she had chosen for him.

"The lychee is **_very_** good, Kaname." Sousuke almost sounded surprised, finding out that he liked ice cream. "It tastes much like the flavor of grapes, but much richer. Did you know, that lychee was cultivated in China as early as _1700 BC._ One Emperor in the _Tang_ dynasty had a favorite concubine who kept the military messengers busy riding to bring back lychees on ice?"

"No. That's _very_ interesting." Kaname didn't mind the otaku reference. She just sat watching Sousuke, her chin on her folded hands.

"The saury is interesting as well." The fish was something like an oversized sardine. "Did they have other sea food varieties?"

"Yes. Octopus. Prawn. Abalone. Crab. Shark fin. And sea urchin." Not exactly Kaname's cup of tea.

"I see. Those might prove interesting as well. Perhaps we will need to try ice cream another day, too."

Kaname couldn't help but smile. It was nice to see Sousuke like this, exploring something that too many people took for granted, and doing something that didn't leave someone injured or a building in ruins.

_Something 'normal.'_

"If I am not mistaken, the SS-189 _Saury_ was a _Sargo_ class submarine of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Submerged displacement of 2350 tonnes or thereabouts."

"Fascinating." Kaname's eyes were glued to Sousuke's face. She liked to see the different expressions he made tasting each flavor.

**When Sousuke tasted the mango, he looked troubled.**

"What's wrong, Sousuke? You don't have to like_ all_ of them, you know." The mango was the last one he had tried. He had liked all of the eleven previous.

"That is not it, Kaname. I like the mango flavor best of all." He looked down at his shoes.

"Sousuke, what is it." Kaname was becoming concerned. Sousuke's face had opened up like a book earlier. Now, it was shut tight.

"Burma, Kaname." Sousuke put the sample cup down and ran his hand through his hair.

"Burma?" Kaname guessed that Sousuke was reminiscing about a previous mission. She was correct.

"Yes. _Myanmar._ The military junta there maintained a policy of unspeakable human rights. They treated ethnic minorities horrendously. We were sent in to free a large number of captives in a forced labor camp." Sousuke stopped.

_He shook his head slowly._

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's OK." Kaname realized again just how different a life Sousuke had led. She felt ashamed about her previous reactions. Sousuke couldn't be expected to react like everybody else.

"No. I like speaking with you Kaname. It makes me feel----" Sousuke stopped.

_Kaname wanted to hear more about how Sousuke felt when he talked to her._

"When we got to the camp, we found widespread evidence of atrocities. Rape. Torture. Executions. Whole villages burned. Crops destroyed." Sousuke paused a moment. "There were mango groves there. Harvesting mangoes was one of their labors."

"Oh! I see. The mango brings back bad memories." Kaname didn't want Sousuke to sink into depression. "I think you should look at things differently, Sousuke." Kaname was just being her usual perky self. She was not necessarily trying to short change his compassion for unfortunate people.

She reached out and briefly touched Sousuke's hand. "When you got there, you stopped the bad guys, didn't you?"

"Yes, we did." Sousuke's eyes still looked haunted.

"And you freed a lot of prisoners?" Kaname was on a roll.

"Affirmative." He nodded.

"You made their lives a lot better, **_didn't_** you?" She hoped this would end up making a bitter memory somewhat better for him.

"Yes." He looked over at her, meeting her eyes.

"That was a **_good _**thing, right?" It certainly was. Kaname was amazed once again. Sousuke could touch so many lives in a positive sense as a soldier, but aggravate endless people as a student.

"Yes." Sousuke's expression brightened some.

"Do you think they would celebrate their release, or feel bad about it?" That was an easy one.

"They would be happy, Kaname." Souuske's face brightened some.

"That's all I wanted to say, Sousuke."

_Kaname smiled._

**x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x**

The sampling finished, the two high-school students chose their ice cream.

Kaname got a single scoop cone with Black Raspberry Truffle. Sousuke chose a cone with a double scoop of Mango.

After taking his first bite, the young soldier said "Thank you, Kaname."

"You're welcome, Sousuke." Kaname smiled. "I'm happy that I could get you to come eat ice cream with me."

"No. I thank you for the cone, too. I meant thank you for _helping_..... about mangoes."

"You're welcome, Sousuke." That made Kaname feel very good inside. No matter how much trouble Sousuke caused, he did spend much of his time protecting her.

**It was nice to return the favor in some small way.**

Kaname was very glad that she had thought to bring Sousuke for ice cream. She had even forgotten why she had felt like rewarding him in the first place. Her thoughts hadn't included Mizuki for a while.

"So, do you **_like_** ice cream, Sousuke?"

"Yes, Kaname. I would have to say that it is..... fun."

"Do you like it more than protein bars?" Kaname had her fingers crossed.

"Yes, Kaname."

"Do you like it more than blowing things up?" Kaname was only half joking.

"Yes. I do not blow things up for pleasure, Kaname."

_Kaname was glad to hear that._

"How about fishing. Do you like it better than fishing?" That was asking a lot.

"No, Kaname. Ice cream does not make me feel as relaxed as fishing does." Sousuke shook his head.

"Do you like it better than **_girls_**, Sousuke?" That one slipped out.

"Uh..."

"Girls, Sousuke. You know, those people _different_ than boys...." Kaname stood up and did a pirouette.

"Uh..."

"Sousuke, **_are_** there any girls you like?" Kaname went pale momentarily.

_Now why had she asked that?_

"Uh..." Sousuke froze in mid-lick.

"Well?" Now that she had asked, she found that she wanted to know the answer. Wanted to know, _and_ didn't want to know.

"Errr..." Sousuke began to sweat. He became very engrossed in his ice cream cone.

"Sousuke?" She scowled. Not _this_ again….

Ummm..."

"**SOUSUKE!!!**"

"Kaname?"

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" Kaname was getting a bit steamed.

"What purpose would the answer serve, Kaname?" Sousuke's look was the epitome of clueless.

"Is that **_all_** you think about, Sousuke? _Purpose?" _Kaname looked at her ice cream. Sousuke might be wearing it soon.

"Kaname, you sound upset." Sosouke lowerd his cone.

"I am **_not _**upset!!!" Kaname was _very_ upset.

Sousuke was smart enough to stay silent.

"_Hmmmpppfff!_ Just answer the question, Sousuke. That's an order!"

"Sir, _YESSIR!"_ Sousuke barely stopped in time. He came close to saluting with the hand holding his ice cream cone. "I like Kyouko...."

"Oh, I see..." Kaname's face fell. "I guess I never saw that one coming. How silly of me. She is a nice girl after all. Very sweet. Dependable."

"And I like Ryo..." Sousuke added.

"Huh?" Kaname's look went from down trodden to hopeful.

"Maya, too..." Sousuke pondered some more.

"I see." Kaname understood what Sousuke was saying. She got some of her spunk back.

_Sousuke went on to name every girl, with the exception of Mizuke. Mizuke, and herself._

Kaname waited.

And waited some more.

"Sousuke... do you like _**me?**"_Kaname began to worry some. She _did_ go a bit heavy on the halisen sometimes.

**Maybe she was just an assignment to him.**

"Yes, Kaname."

"Ah... I... that's nice, Sousuke." Kaname felt her face catch on fire. She'd gone this far. Who knows when she might have the courage or good fortune to discuss this topic again? "_How much_ do you like me, Sousuke?"

"I feel I can do anything around you, Kaname." Souske thought back to the day they had gone fishing at his secret spot.

"I know that. You told me that when we were fishing. Do you like me more than Kyouko, Sousuke?" Her heart was pounding.

Sousuke studied his ice cream cone. He took close notice of the pattern of its ridges and depressions. He turned the cone, to make certain the pattern was the same everywhere.

"Sousuke?" Kaname began to feel fidgety.

Sousuke looked up at the leaves above his head, tracing the veins, examining the blades, taking note of the stems. Leaves were a miraculous thing.

_Kaname signed._

"Yes." Sousuke said quietly, feeling on edge.

_Kaname brightened up._

"Do you like me better than Ryo?" Kaname was prepared to go through the entire school roster.

Sousuke took notice of the crowd. He should have done that before. It was mostly business men, college students, and families with small children. There were no suspicious characters.

"Sousuke?"

"Yes." He answered quicker that time.

"Do you like me better than Maya?"

"Yes." The answer came after a slight pause.

Kaname continued until she ran out of names. Sousuke liked her more than everyone else she had mentioned. She told herself it didn't matter. She convinced herself that he should like her more than the others, because of what they had been through, nothing more. She decided it couldn't possibly make any difference in the way she looked at him.

**Still, as if someone else were in control of her tongue, she pushed onward.**

"Do you like me better than _Shinji_, Sousuke?"

"Yes. I like Shinji in a different way. He is someone who is interested in military topics, as am I. He is very found of Arm Slaves. That is something the two of us share."

"How do you like me differently, Sousuke?"

"You do not smell unpleasant, Kaname" Sousuke said after some thought. He began sweating again.

"_SOUSUKE!_ Can't you say anything straight forward? Are you trying to say you **_like_** the way I smell?" Kaname tossed her hair.

_Sometimes he was so impossible to deal with!_

"Yes your choice in soaps is commendable. Body washes, too. They are good smells. But, when you wear perfume, I believe I…… uhhh…… have an adverse biological reaction to it." Sousuke looked away.

"Adverse biological reaction? Does it make you sneeze?" Kaname was curious.

"No."

"Do your eyes water?" Kaname tried to think of other signs of allergies.

"No."

"Does your throat tighten?"

"No. None of those."

"Then **_what,_** Sousuke. I need to know. If it makes you sick, I will try something else." Kaname liked that perfume. It had been a gift from her sister on her last birthday. But, if it caused Sousuke to be sick…

"It...uh...sometimes...it is involuntary..." Sousuke looked very disturbed.

Sousuke?" Kaname wondered what could possibly be getting him so embarrassed.

"The blood...how can I say this... it's _not_ by choice..." Sousuke's face looked pale.

"**SOUSUKE!**" Kaname stomped her feet. They would have to head back soon. She didn't have all day.

"Sometimes the blood flows to places it does not usual flow, Kaname." Sousuke went back to examining leaves.

_"Huh?"_ For a second, Kaname was totally perplexed. Then she thought a moment. 'Could he mean?' She too began examining leaves.

_That other self took control of her tongue again._

"What **_else,_** Sousuke? How else do you like me differently?" Kaname rubbed her fingers together.

"Uh...your voice is not unpleasant..."

"Sousuke, are you trying to say you like the sound of my voice?" Kaname's voice went up an octave.

"Yes...when you are not shouting or screeching..."

"**I**... **DO**... **NOT**... " Kaname caught herself. "OK, Sousuke. You like my voice. That's nice."

Kaname sat quietly. So did Sousuke. Kaname tried to decide whether she should probe any deeper. Sousuke looked for an excuse to run. He did not understand his fear. He had never felt anything quite like it in the middle of battle---not even when he appeared to be helplessly outnumbered, or was taken prisoner by enemy forces.

"What else, Sousuke?" Kaname threw caution to the wind. She could decide whether or not she liked Sousuke's answers later. There was always time for plausible deniability.

"I..." Sousuke looked stricken.

"It's OK. Take your time. It's important you let me know Sousuke." Kaname smiled an evil smile. "It's crucial to the success of your mission."

"It is... _how_, Kaname?"

"It just **_is_**, soldier. We don't have time for a briefing. Now, get on with your report." If _that _didn't do it, nothing would.

"Affirmative. I find that your appearance..." Sousuke couldn't help himself. He had to give Kaname a brief one over.

_Kaname noticed, and posed._

"**_How_** do you find my appearance, Sousuke?" Kaname tried to find the perfect angle to show her better side. She sucked in her breath and threw out her chest. She crossed one leg over another. Those actions had all been subconscious.

"I think you look... you do not look unpleasant Kaname."

Kaname clenched her teeth. She had had her fill of _'not unpleasant.'_

"Is there anything **_else_** you would like to say about the way I look, Sousuke?" Kaname was fishing for a positive word. 'Pretty' would have been nice. 'Gorgeous' or 'breath-taking' would be much better.

_Thinking back to a previous question, Sousuke missed the point_

"I...uh...well..."

"**SOUSUKE!** You're a soldier for crying out loud. Show some backbone. I need to have confidence in the person protecting me, _right?"_ Kaname was beginning to feel anxious.

"Sometimes…… uh......... like with the perfume……it's....... the uh...... blood..." Sousuke straightened his shoulders and set his jaw. "I do **_not_** understand it, Kaname."

_Kaname instinctively moved a little closer to Sousuke._

Sousuke twitched. His remaining ice cream fell off of the cone and onto the ground.

"Ah. The ice cream...." He felt his throat tighten.

"That's OK, Sousuke." That happens to everyone sometimes. It's nothing to be upset or embarrassed about." Kaname choked on her ice cream. She had thought about something else. It was not something she had experience with.

_Some things just get to be common knowledge by gossip, girls' magazines, or television._

Kaname shook the wandering thought away. She didn't know whether she should feel a secret sense of satisfaction, or get up from the bench running. Still, part of her was determined to forge ahead.

"Does anyone else make you drop your food, Sousuke?" Kaname asked.

"Huh?"

"Does anyone else at the school make you......uh...…make the blood go...... um...... _there."_ Kaname knew she was blushing. She was glad that know one other than Sousuke was within earshot.

"No, Kaname." That truth had been simple to say. It would have been a good place to stop. "Not at the school."

Kaname stood up quickly. This time _her_ ice cream fell to the ground. She had dropped her cone.

"Somewhere **_else,_** Sousuke?" Her voice was suddenly rough. There were storm clouds brewing in her eyes.

"Uh..."

Too late, Sousuke realized the pickle he was in. If he didn't answer, Kaname was likely to get angry. If he did answer, she was likely to get angry. Lt. Commander Kalinin had once told him that 'the truth shall set you free.' He considered that an order. It was always a matter of what truth to tell...and how much truth to offer.

_He seemed awfully short of options at the moment._

"Sousuke."

Sousuke remembered Kaname knocking at his door, intent on apologizing. He remembered the food that she had brought over. He remembered her relief and happiness when he told her that she had nothing to apologize for.

**He remembered her reaction when she first saw Captain Testarossa.**

Sousuke began to sweat as heavily as he had that day.

"**_SOUSUKE!!!_**" Kanamae's mind was a whirl. She checked and cross-checked any number of possibilities.

_She ended with one that could prove hazardous to Sousuke's health and continued well-being._

"There was a time...at my apartment... uh... when I saw a silhouette in the shower..." Sousuke swallowed hard.

"_T-T-T_---" Kaname frowned.

"The blood...uh... well... I did _not_ stare."

"_T-T-T_---" Kaname narrowed her eyes.

"Also... on a beach... when I was training... someone fell on me... then moved around...uh." Sousuke twitched briefly.

"_T-T-T_---" Kaname's hands curled into claws.

"She would not get up... the blood... it… uhhh…" Sousuke's eyes went wide.

"_T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T_---" Kaname couldn't get the name out.

"I do not know whether or not it was pleasant, Kaname."

_"**TESSA?!!**"_ Kaname finally looked like she was about to leave in a major huff.

"_Affirmative._ Captain Testarossa." Sousuke looked at his companion's face. "Are you upset Kaname?"

Perhaps Kaname and Tessa **_both_** had circulatory problems. Sousuke swallowed. Yes. _That _would be the simplest answer.

"**OF COURSE NOT SOUSUKE! _WHY_ WOULD I BE UPSET???** " Kaname was way beyond upset.

"It was not by _my_ choice, Kaname. It was an inappropriate action. Captain Tesstarossa is my commanding officer. It was improper to speak of... uh... **_that_** with her. We had training to do. I could _not_ figure out why she was suddenly immobile."

Kaname fumed.. She knew all too well why Tessa had been _'suddenly immobile.'_ She deflated, letting the tension ease out of her.

"Well…… any such reaction around Tessa is **_very_** inappropriate and **_extremely _**improper. Do you understand, Sousuke?"Kaname could use this to her advantage.

_That is, if there was actually anything she needed an advantage at…._

"Affirmative."

"You should try to keep your blood where it belongs. If you _can't,_ then be sure you never **_ever_** discuss such matters with a Captain. It might be grounds for dismissal or court martial. Yes, it would be best if you stayed out of **_all_** situations that might lead to... uh... misdirection of blood." Kaname couldn't believe she was having this conversation.

**But, anything that stymied that smug little Captain was worth pursuing.**

"I see. You _may_ be correct, Kaname." Sousuke was lost in thought. "Perhaps I should ask Sgt. Weber or Sgt. Major Mao. If there is an issue that might compromise the effectiveness of our team..."

"**_NO!_**" Kaname spoke loudly and quickly. "No, Sousuke. You _know_ Kurz. And, Melissa is a close friend of Tessa. They tell each other _everything."_

"Yes. That is true."

Kaname sighed.

_That had been a close one._

"Lt. Cmdr. Kalinin. He is my commanding officer, too. He must base his decisions on our overall condition. If it is a problem, then **_he_** should know of it!" Sousuke stood. From the look on his face, it seemed he was intent on reporting in then and there. "Yes, as an older male, he will also be able to describe the significance..."

_"Wait!"_ Kaname put her hand on Sousuke's arm, then pulled it away. "This is a **_personal _**matter, Sousuke." Her mind was working at a feverish pace, looking for a good answer. "If you bring too many personal matters before your commander, he might actually begin to question your effectiveness as a soldier."

"Again you are correct, Kaname" Sousuke said after pondering things for a short while. "It is good to have you around. You are very clever. It is nice to have someone who looks out for my better interests."

The first and second statements had Kaname smiling. The third had her looking away, feeling somewhat sheepish. "Thank you, Sousuke."

"There is one thing I am curious about Kaname."

"Sousuke?" Kaname began to feel a tingle. Maybe Sousuke was going to ask her if _she_ liked _him_. What should she say? How did she really feel?

"Your level of expertise. Where does it come from. Do girls have problems with uh...blood flow...as well?"

"**W-W-W-W-W-WHAT?** " Kaname sputtered. "That is **_not_** something that you ask a girl!" Kaname pushed on Sousuke's shoulders, hard.

Sousuke---and the whole bench--- fell over with a loud _'Thud.'_

"**_HMMPPFF!!_**" Kaname marched away at a quick and determined pace.

When she was out of sight, she smiled and answered "Yes.

_After she got back to her apartment, she decided on taking a nice cold shower._

"I really **_do _**like ice cream," she said.


End file.
